Sony Making Progress on Converting AMC, Regal Digital Screens to 3D

Sony has a two-year agreement to switch all of AMC’s 4,628 screens at 309 locations to Sony 4K digital projection systems. It first deployed digital projectors at AMC theaters in October 2007 and so far has them installed for 150 screens, including 29 for 3D, Sony officials said. Regal is expected to switch to the 4K projection systems over 3-5 years. Regal has 6,763 screens in 547 locations and 39 states operating under its own, United Artists and Edwards banners. Regal and AMC are part of the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners consortium that also includes Cinemark.

Many of Sony’s newer theater installations are using the 3D-capable SRX-R320 front projector that contains three 1.55-inch SXRD panels with 1,920x1,080p resolution, 2,000:1 contrast ratio and 21,000 lumens using optional Ushio 4.2, 3 or 2-kilowatt Xenon lamps. Sony sells the SRX-R320 with an optional dual lens adapter ($10,000) for 3D and has no immediate plans to embed it in the product, Shapiro said. The SRX-R320 is priced at $90,000. Sony has focused SXRD on front projectors since dropping LCoS-based rear projection TVs.

"It’s a technology we have invested in and we're going to continue developing higher- and lower-end product,” Shapiro said. “The reality is they can use the projector for 3D or 2D and I don’t know if you embed it you would be able to do that. You want to be able to use the theater for 2D or 3D."

Meanwhile, Sony has expanded its OLED technology to broadcast and control room applications. It shipped a 7.4-inch monitor ($5,000) in May and is planning to add a 17-inch version later this year for broadcast studios. The 7.4-inch OLED features 960x540 resolution, 10-bit color, consumes 27 watts and has lithium ion battery with a 3.5-hour run time. The 7.4-inch OLED was demonstrated alongside an 8.4-inch LCD monitor with 1,024x768 resolution and a 3.4-hour run time and a 9-inch CRT. The OLED panel was noticeably brighter, although its luminance rating wasn’t available. The OLEDs are being produced at Sony’s plant in Japan that previously made the 11-inch TV ($2,500) that was marketed in the U.S., but discontinued last year. Sony demonstrated a 21-inch OLED at CES in January. “Ultimately I think [OLED is] the answer for 3D because it definitely delivers a level of quality and that’s ultimately where we want to go,” Shapiro said. “But it’s also well suited for broadcast and professional use” where price isn’t as much an issue as it is in the consumer business.

Infocomm Notebook

Panasonic in December will start shipping 3D plasma displays for digital signage and other commercial applications, said Rudolf Vitti, product marketing manager for Panasonic professional displays. Displays will be available in 85- ($45,000), 103- ($65,000) and 152-inch ($500,000) sizes, he said. The plasma displays, which feature 1-millisecond response times and 5,000,000:1 contrast ratios, each contain two built-in 3D transmitters and will likely be packaged with active shutter glasses, Vitti said. While the 103- and 85-inch panels have 1080p resolution, the 152-inch features a 17:9 aspect ratio and 4,096x2,160 resolution. The 3D displays carry a $15,000 premium over non-3D models, reflecting added technology including faster response times, Vitti said. Vitti declined comment on consumer plans for the plasma panels. The 152-inch display, which weighs 1,300 pounds, is being produced in Japan and will first be available for build-to-order, Vitti said. Panasonic also unveiled its first 42- ($1,430) and 47-inch ($1,830) 1080p LCDs for digital signage joining a 32-inch model. The Sanyo-sourced LCDs contain 700 nits brightness and are a better fit than similarly-sized plasma for high brightness displays such as those deployed in airports, Vitti said. Panasonic has carried a 37-inch plasma for commercial applications, but it was “very difficult to build and wasn’t competitive” price-wise against LCDs of the same size, Vitti said.

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Projectiondesign will ship by September the first commercial front projector ($35,000-$40,000) with a 0.9-inch Texas Instruments DLP containing 2,560x1,600 resolution, Strategic Business Manager Neil Wittering told us. The F35 contains a single DLP chip with 8,000:1 contrast ratio, dual 330-watt UHP lamps and 6,500 lumens. The F35 will be marketed with four optional zoom lens ($2,500-$5,000) range from short throw to 4.5:1, Wittering said. A version of the F35 with LEDs also will be available, but pricing hasn’t been set, he said. Wittering declined to comment on a possible consumer version of the projector that could be sold under the Avielo brand. But model may be introduced at CEDIA in September, dealers have said (CED May 3 p1). The F35, which will be used for surveillance, control room, simulation and other applications, was assembled at Projectiondesign’s factory in Norway. With the introduction of the F35, Projectiondesign expects to have a six-month jump on competitors that also will use the 0.9-inch DLP, Wittering said.